Mickael Pietrus steps it up in Magic’s win over Bobcats

April 18, 2010|By Josh Robbins, Orlando Sentinel

For much of the 2009-10 regular season, Mickael Pietrus would disappear for one game and reappear the next. Like Forrest Gump with his box of chocolates, the Orlando Magic never knew what they were going to get.

But maybe Pietrus was saving his best stuff for the playoffs.

The backup small forward gave Orlando a big boost in its postseason opener Sunday. He sparked the team during the second quarter, hit a key shot late in the fourth quarter and defended effectively as the Magic defeated the Charlotte Bobcats 98-89.

That includes Pietrus, a 6-foot-6 defensive specialist who has been an enigma since the team started its season back in late October.

Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy has said all along that Pietrus' biggest value to the team is his ability to defend opposing teams' best wing players. But Van Gundy feels that Pietrus' intensity and focus can wane when he's not making his shots.

"When he's at his best, when he's right, he's got the athleticism certainly to go out and defend people," Van Gundy said shortly before tipoff. "He can shoot the ball and everything else. It's just really for him a consistency thing."

Pietrus provided the necessary focus Sunday.

He hit a crucial 3-pointer with 1:24 remaining in regulation to give Orlando a 90-82 lead and halt Charlotte's comeback attempt.

"M.P., he's one of those guys that you never know what's he's going to do," said Magic power forward Rashard Lewis. "He's going to get to the basket or he's going to be knocking down 3s all night. He's an energy guy to come off the bench. He's a slasher, and I thought he did a great job of giving us some energy."

That energy infusion began when Pietrus came off the bench to start the second quarter. He hit three of his four shot attempts — all of them from beyond the arc. He finished the quarter with 11 points.

But just as important to the Magic, Pietrus and Matt Barnes helped contain Charlotte's Stephen Jackson, who made just six of his 18 field-goal attempts.

Pietrus has provided clutch playoff performances before.

His outside shooting and his defensive skills helped the Magic reach the NBA Finals last postseason when he tenaciously guarded such players as Boston's Paul Pierce and Cleveland's LeBron James.

Now, he's already frustrated Jackson.

"He's a tough player to cover," Pietrus said. "But I'm trying to do the best job that I can."

Pietrus' best was certainly good enough for Orlando on Sunday.

He had reappeared at the right time.

Read Josh Robbins' blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog and e-mail him at jrobbins@orlandosentinel.com. Subscribe to our Magic e-mail newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/newsletters.